Cooker



Nov. 24, 1931. c, PRWETT I 1,833,334

COOKER Filed March 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

lll l l l l ll l 3 11m FIG.6. 4a 3 INVENTOR H.C.PRIVETT BY WM ATTORNEYS H. C. PRIVETT Nov. 24, 1931.

COOKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1930 S VI E N R O T T A H. C. PRIVETT Nov. 24, 1931.

COOKER Filed March 19, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR HVC. PRIVETT V JMWZQ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY C. PRIVETT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F I FIFTEEN PER CENT 1'0 JOHN VAN NU'LAND, 0! LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA COOKER Application filed March 19, 1930. Serial No 437,064.

My invention pertains to a cooker for cooking food products in cans and relates to a cooker in which the cans are moved through the machine in successive spiral paths, such as the cans being moved from an outside position in which they are fed into the machine towards the center of the spiral and then by a lower spiral feed towards the periphery of the machine, and so on until they have been in the machine a sufiicient length of time for proper cooking; the main portions of the machine for shifting the cans being enclosed in a steam ti ht container.

An object o my invention in this construction is to utilize incombination with the spiral paths that the cans are forced to follow, rotating fingers or spokes, each spoke being adapted to engage a can in each of the spiral paths and by the fingers or spokes rotating the cans may be shifted from the outside to the inside of the spiral, or Vice versa, depending on the direction in which the spiral path is constructed in' reference to the rotation of the fingers.

A further object of my invention has to do with the manner in which the spiral paths are constructed and the construction on which the cans are shifted; To effect this I utilize a plurality of spaced plates or disks, these however having a central 0 eninglwith a central vertical shaft exten ing t rough this opening. This shaft has a spider thereon and radiating from the spider there are a plurality of fingers or spokes, the outer ends of the spokes being preferably secured to a ring to give stiffness to the construction. The s iral uide paths depend from an upper dis or at plate-like ring so that the upper parts of the cans are guided in the spiral paths and the cans may roll on the disks or plates. The inner portion of these disks are supported by hub constructions on the central vertical shaft. The hubs in the rotation have a sliding or slipping action in relation to the inner bearing of the disks.

The fingers radiating from the spider may extend underneath the partitions forming the spiral and are arranged to engage the cans whereby there can be only one can between any two adjacent fingers or spokes; Each of the disks at the end of the spiral has a drop chute therein so that the cans may be dropped from an upper to a lower disk and as the spirals are reversed, cans which are fed in. adjacent the periphery on an upper disk are conveyed towards the central shaft and then drop to the disk next below and are conveyed by a reverse spiral towards the periphery of the machine and then dropped to a third disk and so on. The cans are fed into the machine by a trap-like valve and are fed out through somewhat a similar construction so that there will be but little escape of steam in the entry and discharge of individual cans.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the cooker taken in the direction of the arrow 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, partly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged section similar to Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a partial vertical sect-ion on the line 66 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3 through one of the chutes for cans.

I preferably mount the cooker on legs 11 which support a downwardly domed base 12. On this base there is a substantial ring 13 and extending above the ring there is a cylindrical section 14 with a top cover or dome 15. A cylinder 16 is mounted on the base and engages the inner portion of the lowermost flat ring or disk 17, the outer edge of which is supported at the ring 13, leaving a central opening 18. A steam inlet pipe 19 supplies steam to the cooker and an outlet pipe 19 carries the waste steam and the condensed water.

The cooker is provided with a central column or rotary shaft 20. This shaft has a lower end 21 which is mounted in a journal 22, this belng formed of a substantial metal block secured to the base 12 and having an anti-friction thrust bearing 23. Onthis thrust bearing there is mounted the hub 24 .of a bevel gear 25. The hub is splined or' each rin there is a flat annular bearing 31.

Fitte on each bearing 31 there are stationary rings 32 having an outwardly extending flange 33 and an upwardly'extending rib 34.

Oil ducts 35 extend through-the channeled rings 30. The rings 32 space the hubs 26 apart and each ring has an annular bearing surface 36 on which the hub next uppermost rests.

There are a plurality of stationary disks 37 positioned one above the other. Each of the disks at an outer portion has a series of lugs 38 through which extends a long bolt 39, this bolt being secured in the ring. 13 at the bottom. Spacer sleeves 40 space the disks at their outer part, the proper distance apart (Snote Fig. 6). The inner portions of each isk have a reinforcing flat ring 41 attached thereto and the disks have a central opening 42 which abuts against therims 34 of the stationary rings 32 and is secured to theextending flange. 35 by rivets 43 or the like (note Fig. 5). By this construction the stationary disks have a fixed support adjacent the periphery and another .fixed support at the center of the machine surrounding the shaft 20. These stationary supports rest on the rotatin hubs of the spiders carrying the radiating gers.

Depending from each of the disks 37 there 7 are spiraled partitions 44.; these spirals being arranged alternately in opposite directions. The cans are fed into the machine through a rotary feeding device 45 which feeds one can at a time, this can dropping through a chute 46. The type of feed is known so that it is not described in detail herein and the cans pass through an opening- 47 in the uppermost disk 37 adjacent its outer periphery. The cans are deposited so v as to roll on the disks and the cans as deposited fall on the second disks from the top adjacent the outer periphery and there is suf- 1 ficient space between each two. radiating fingers 28 for one can. These cans are then rolled by the fingers rotating with the shaft 20 and the cans must necessarily follow the. spirals" of the depending partitions 44. The

spiraled partitions on the uppermost disk 27 carry the cans towards the center, whence they meet an openin or chute 48 in the disk and drop on to the isk next below.

As above mentioned, this latter disk has the spiraled partitions arranged in a-nopposite manner to the diskimmedlately above and below, so that as the cans are on aged by the second set of rotating fingers rom the top,

they are conveyed by a s iral which'carries known type of valve and similar to the valve 45. This valve therefore discharges the cans after being subjected to steam preferably under pressure sothatthe contents of the cans are properly cooked. It is-obvious that the rate at which the cans pass through the machine may be regulated so as to vary the time of cooking as may be found necessary.

I illustrate a. suitable manner of driving the machine in which a drive shaft 52 is journaled on the top of the brackets or legs 53. This shaft has a drive wheel 54 and by means of a bevel pinion rotates a large bevel gear 55. This latter operates a secondary drive shaft 56 which'shaft enters the base. 12 of the machine and has a bevel pinion which meshes with the large gear 25 connected to the vertical shaft 20. The valves 45 and 51 are illustrated as operated by sprocket chain drives 57 and 58 from the shaft 52. By this construction the vertical shaft and the infeeding and outfeeding valves may be operated in the proper timed relation.

It will be noted that a characteristic feature of my invention is that the disks on which the cams roll are properly supported at their outer periphery and also at their center por-' tion, the center portion being carried by the ringswhich are supported on the rotating hubs on the vertical shaft 20 and these hubs each have an openwork spider with radiating fingers attached thereto. These fingers as above mentioned function to space the cans apart so that one can does not need thrust the cans aheadof it along, but each can is independently moved by a finger. 'Manifestly the fingers are a suflicient distance apart so that at theinnermost spiral there is sufficient room for a can between two adjacent fingers. 1 I

The steam circulates from the incoming steam pipe 19 upwardly through the open spiders and they enter between the various disks adjacent the outer periphery of such disks. The stationaryrings 32 may be kept lubricated by lubricant introduced through an oil opening 59 at the top and anywater condensmg on the disks will to a great extent pass from one disks to another through the chutes and drop at the peripheral portions of the disks and also some of the water may work down adjacent the hubs through the oil openings. With this type of machine in which the cans are positively fed, there is no danger of the machine clogging by the cans amming.

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim:

1. A cooker having a central rotary'shaft having a plurality of superposed sets of fingers connected thereto and radiating therefrom, a disk positioned between each set of fingers, a fixed mounting for the disks adjacent the periphery, a mounting for the disks supported by the shaft, each disk having a spiral partition forming a spiral path, the adjacent paths being in. a reverse direction, means to transmit cans from an upper to a lower disk, an infeeding and a discharge place for the cans, the said fingers engaging individual cans and feeding the cans through the successive spirals.

2. A cooker having a vertical rotary shaft having'a plurality of -hubs connected thereto with a set of fingers radiating from each hub, each set being adapted to occupy a horizontal plane, a fixed disk located between each set of fingers, a structure securing the periphery of the disks stationary, a bearing structure for the inner portion of each disk having a support on an adjacent hub, the hub rotating in relation to the said support, each disk having a spiraled depending partition forming a spiral path, the paths on adj acent disks being reversed, each spiral at its end having means to feed cans from an upper to a lower disk, the said fingers extending across the spirals, an infeeding and a discharge place for cans, the said fingers being adapted to engage individual cans and feed such cans through the spiral paths.

3; A cooker having an enclosing structure with a vertical rotary shaft mounted therein, said shaft having a plurality of superposed hubs connected thereto, each hub having a spider with radiating fingers extending therefrom, a disk positioned between each set of fingers and havin a central opening, a fixed structure supporting the disks adjacent their outer periphery, each disk havin a ring at its central opening, the said ring earing on a hubj the hub having a rotating motion in referenceto the ring, each disk having depending partitions in a spiral forming spiral paths and the fingers extending across the partitions below same, the spiral paths of adjacent disks being in opposite directions with discharge chutes from an upper to a lower disk, an infeeding place in the upper disk for cans and a discharge place in the lowermost disk, the said fingers being adapted to engage individual cans and feed said cans through the spiral paths,

4. cooker having an enclosing structure with a central rotary shaft, the said shaft having a plurality of superposed hubs con-. nected thereto, each having a spider with a set of radiating fingers, a disk between each set of fingers having a central opening, stationary supporting structures engaging the periphery of the disks, each disk having a ring secured at the opening and such ring having a bearing on the adjacent hub, each disk having depending partitions and a s iral forming spiral paths, the spiral paths 0 adjacent disks being in opposite directions with openings at the end of each passage to drop cans from an upper to a-lower disk, an infeeding place for cans at the upper disk, a discharge place for cans at the lower disk, substantially steam tight valves feeding the cans at the infeed and at the discharge in and out of the enclosing structure, means to introduce and withdraw. steam in and out of the enclosing structure, the cans being adapted to roll on a disk and follow the spiral partition of the disk next above and the feed fingers being adapted to engage individual cans and to feed said cans through the spiral passages.

5. A cooker having a plurality of fixed disks superposed, an upper disk having depending partitions arranged in a spiral and forming spiral paths, a central rotary structure having radiating fingers extending across the disks and under the partitions, the spiral paths on adjacent disks being in a reverse direction, an infeeding construction for cans adjacent the eriphery of one disk and a discharge place or cans adjacent the inner portion of such disk'or vice versa, the said dis'charge feeding cans to a disk next below, the said fingers feeding the cans throu h the spirals on the cans rolling on the di erent disks, each of the disks having a fixed mounting adjacent its periphery, and the central rotary structure havlng a supporting means for each of the disks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY C. PRIVETT. 

